MedicineWorld.Org: Archive page

Misery, Not Miserly

Off to buy a new handbag and fabulous red shoes, or how about overalls and a riding lawnmower? Before going, a mood check for signs of despair and gloom might be in order because how a person feels can impact routine economic transactions, whether he or she is aware of it or not.
So says a team of behavioral researchers from four major U.S. universities, whose research study finds that sadness impacts spending. Specifically, people who feel........Go to the Psychology news blog (Added on 4/8/2008 9:42:09 PM)

When poor communication pokes you in the eye

The ocular lens belongs to the optical apparatus and focuses incidental beams of light onto the retina. Now, a research team led by Professor Dr. Jochen Graw of the Institute of Developmental Genetics, of the Helmholtz Zentrum München, has been able to decipher a genetic defect responsible for small eyes and an incomplete, clouded lens in the so-called Aey12 mouse mutants. These results lead to conclusions concerning cataracts in humans,........Go to the Ophthalmology news blog (Added on 4/7/2008 10:50:50 PM)

Asthma and Smoker's Lung

Dry airways may not only play a central role in the development of the in-herited lung disease cystic fibrosis, but also in much more common ac-quired chronic lung diseases such as asthma and smoker's lung, the ciga-rette smoke-induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This is the conclusion reached by researchers at Heidelberg University Hospital under the direction of Assistant Professor Dr. Marcus Mall from the Department of........Go to the Allergy news blog (Added on 4/7/2008 10:45:37 PM)

Acetaminophen increases muscle mass

Taking daily recommended dosages of ibuprofen and acetaminophen caused a substantially greater increase over placebo in the amount of quadriceps muscle mass and muscle strength gained during three months of regular weight lifting, in a study by physiologists at the Human Performance Laboratory, Ball State University.
Dr. Chad Carroll, a postdoctoral fellow working with Dr. Todd Trappe, reported study results at Experimental Biology 2008 in........Go to the Weight watcher's blog (Added on 4/6/2008 8:21:22 PM)

Genes have big impact on blood pressure

New Haven, Conn. -Yale University scientists report today in the journal Nature Genetics that they have discovered that rare genetic variants can be linked to a dramatically lower risk of developing hypertension in the general population.
The insight that rare mutations may collectively play a large part in the development of common yet complex diseases such as high blood pressure also has implications for the diagnosis and therapy of........Go to the Heart-watch-blog (Added on 4/6/2008 8:08:03 PM)

Growing body of knowledge of genetics of height

Researchers are beginning to develop a clearer picture of what makes some people stand head and shoulders above the rest. A team of scientists who last year identified the first common version of a gene influencing height has now identified a further twenty regions of the genome which together can make a height difference of up to 6cm.
The results, published together with two independent studies online today in the journal Nature Genetics,........Go to the Society medical news blog (Added on 4/6/2008 8:02:42 PM)

Colon Cancer's Potential for Metastasis

Some colon cancers are destined to spread to the liver and other parts of the body, whereas others are successfully treated by surgical removal of the tumor. Now, Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers have observed that the ability of a colon tumor to metastasize arises early in its development.
Those colon cancers that spread carry the ability to metastasize from the time they become malignant, the scientists found. They don't need to........Go to the Colon-cancer-blog (Added on 4/3/2008 9:50:58 PM)

Natural trans fats have health benefits

Contrary to popular opinion, not all trans fats are bad for you.
University of Alberta researcher Flora Wang observed that a diet with enriched levels of trans vaccenic acid (VA) a natural animal fat found in dairy and beef products can reduce risk factors linked to heart disease, diabetes and obesity.
Results indicated this benefit was due in part to the ability of VA to reduce the production of chylomicrons particles of fat and........Go to the Society medical news blog (Added on 4/2/2008 10:16:41 PM)

Study finds that discrimination varies by gender and race

Men are more likely to tolerate discrimination than women, however both sexes tend to accept prejudice against poorly educated immigrants and Arab-American airplane travelers, as per a research studyby the USC-Caltech Center for the Study of Law and Politics.
In a survey of more than 3,300 people, scientists at USC Gould School of Law and USC College observed that both men and women are less willing to tolerate discrimination against the........Go to the Society medical news blog (Added on 4/2/2008 10:07:45 PM)

Nano-sized technology has super-sized effect on tumors

Anyone facing chemotherapy would welcome an advance promising to dramatically reduce their dose of these often harsh drugs. Using nanotechnology, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have taken a step closer to that goal.
The scientists focused a powerful drug directly on tumors in rabbits using drug-coated nanoparticles. They observed that a drug dose 1,000 times lower than used previously for this purpose........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 4/2/2008 9:59:01 PM)

Novel biomarkers for cancer

Biotechnology companies are focusing on the development of novel biomarkers to overcome the limitations of current diagnostic tests for cancer, reports Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News (GEN). To effectively move cancer treatment forward, a much stronger and targeted emphasis on diagnosis will be required, as per an article in the April 1 issue of GEN (http://www.genengnews.com/articles/chitem.aspx?aid=2428).
"Therapeutic protocols........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 4/1/2008 9:02:37 PM)

Bacteria in the digestive system and obesity

Obesity is more than a cosmetic concern because it increases a persons risk for developing high blood pressure, diabetes and a number of other serious health problems. Its well understood that consuming more calories than you expend through exercise and daily activities causes weight gain. But with about one in every three American adults now considered obese, scientists are attempting to identify additional factors that affect a persons........Go to the Weight watcher's blog (Added on 4/1/2008 8:34:04 PM)

Are you my mother?

Sigmund Freud hailed the phenomenon of transference as fundamental to the process of dynamic psychotherapy. Freud depicted transference as a false correlation between patient's memories of a past relationship and the therapeutic context. He noted it as an integral part in the psychoanalytic cure.
New theories present a very different interpretation of transference. In that, it transcends the therapeutic context and constitutes part and........Go to the Psychology news blog (Added on 3/31/2008 9:35:19 PM)

Actos preventes progression of atherosclerotic plaque

New data from a clinical trial using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) technology observed that in patients living with type 2 diabetes, ACTOS® (pioglitazone HCl) reduced the atherosclerotic burden in the coronary arteries in comparison to glimepiride, and prevented progression in comparison to baseline. These data stem from the PERISCOPE (Pioglitazone Effect on Regression of Intravascular Sonographic Coronary Obstruction Prospective........Go to the Heart-watch-blog (Added on 3/31/2008 9:30:50 PM)

Key culprit in stroke brain cell damage

Scientists have identified a key player in the killing of brain cells after a stroke or a seizure. The protein asparagine endopeptidase (AEP) unleashes enzymes that break down brain cells' DNA, researchers at Emory University School of Medicine have found.
The results are reported in the March 28 issue of the journal Molecular Cell.
Finding drugs that block AEP may help doctors limit permanent brain damage following strokes or seizures,........Go to the Neurology news blog (Added on 3/27/2008 9:50:45 PM)

Being born bottom first is inherited

A baby is twice as likely to be born bottom first if either or both the parents were themselves breech deliveries, as per a research studypublished ahead of print on bmj.com. The results suggest genes are a contributing factor.
The vast majority of babies are delivered head first. Fewer than one in twenty are delivered the other way round what is known as a breech delivery. Such deliveries carry significantly greater risks for the baby: ........Go to the OBGYN news blog (Added on 3/27/2008 9:42:11 PM)

Too many women still dying from breast cancer

Thousands of women die from breast cancer each year because current therapys are not always effective and in some cases fail to stem the disease, warns Breast Cancer Campaign today.
In a comprehensive review of breast cancer research published recently, 56 of the UKs most influential breast cancer experts have identified the key research gaps and priorities for the greatest potential impact on patients.
Breast cancer therapy has improved........Go to the Breast-cancer-blog (Added on 3/27/2008 9:36:43 PM)

Retired NFL players at increased risk for heart problems

Screening for cardiovascular problems in elite-level football players should begin in high school and continue throughout the lives of college and professional players. Mayo Clinic physicians based that conclusion on the results of their new study of the cardiovascular health of 233 retired National Football League (NFL) players.
The Mayo data showed that 82 percent of NFL players under age 50 had abnormal narrowing and blockages in........Go to the Heart-watch-blog (Added on 3/27/2008 8:55:10 PM)

FDG-PET Has Major Impact on Cancer Patient Care

As per a research studyof data from the National Oncologic PET Registry (NOPR) published online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO) on March 24th, clinicians changed the intended care of more than one in three cancer patients as the results of FDG-PET scan findings.
There were over 1500 participating facilities that contributed FDG-PET scan data from the nearly 23,000 patients involved in the study. Analysis of registry data published........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 3/26/2008 10:07:37 PM)

Seeing may be believing -- but is it the same as looking?

If you see something, its because youre looking at it, right? A recently published study examined this question and established that while people do tend to notice objects within their gaze, it is the assumptions they make about their environment that affects their perceptions. This study gives insight into how the brain and the eye work together to interpret everyday observations.
The study If I saw it, it probably wasnt far from where I........Go to the Psychology news blog (Added on 3/25/2008 10:21:37 PM)

Cholesterol, blood pressure control in diabetics

Aggressively lowering cholesterol and blood pressure levels below current targets in adults with type 2 diabetes may help to prevent and possibly reverse hardening of the arteries, as per new research supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health. Hardening of the arteries, also known as atherosclerosis, is the number one cause of heart disease and can lead to heart attack, stroke, and........Go to the Diabetic news blog (Added on 4/8/2008 9:58:30 PM)

Where College Students Live Can Impact Their Weight

The first year of college is often linked to the "freshman 15," a reference to the 15 pounds that female college freshman are alleged to gain during the first year of higher education. The causes of the freshman 15 range from stress-related over-eating to excessive consumption of alcohol. A new study of female freshman dorm residents adds a new perspective to this phenomenon, finding that those who avail themselves of school housing consume........Go to the Weight watcher's blog (Added on 4/7/2008 10:55:03 PM)

Your baby's brain on drugs

Eventhough behavioral studies clearly indicate that exposure to drugs, alcohol and tobacco in utero is bad for a baby's developing brain, specific anatomic brain effects have been hard to tease out in humans. Often users don't limit themselves to one substance, and demographic factors like poverty can also influence brain development.
Now, an NIH-funded study using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans, led by Children's Hospital........Go to the OBGYN news blog (Added on 4/7/2008 10:35:43 PM)

Alligator blood for antibiotic-resistant infections

Despite their reputation for deadly attacks on humans and pets, alligators are wiggling their way toward a new role as potential lifesavers in medicine, biochemists in Louisiana reported today at the 235th national meeting of the American Chemical Society. They described how proteins in gator blood may provide a source of powerful new antibiotics to help fight infections linked to diabetic ulcers, severe burns, and superbugs that are resistant........Go to the Infectious disease blog (Added on 4/6/2008 8:26:45 PM)

More likely to choose cocaine over food

Having a lower social standing increases the likelihood that a monkey faced with a stressful situation will choose cocaine over food, as per a research studyat Wake Forest University School of Medicine. More dominant monkeys undergoing the same stressful situation had fewer changes in brain activity in areas of the brain involved in stress and anxiety and were less likely to choose cocaine.
Robert Warren Gould, a graduate student in the........Go to the Psychology news blog (Added on 4/6/2008 8:13:42 PM)

Breast cancer risk lingered years after HRT

A follow-up study of postmenopausal women who took the combination of estrogen and progestin for more than five years as part of the landmark Women's Health Initiative shows that the women continued to face an increased risk for breast cancer nearly three years after they quit taking the hormones.
The new study also shows that while some of the other health risks and benefits diminished after the women had stopped taking the........Go to the Breast-cancer-blog (Added on 4/3/2008 10:00:12 PM)

Continuous oral contraceptives better at easing pain, bleeding

Continuous oral contraceptives may be more effective than the standard 28-day birth control pills in suppressing the ovary, as per researchers. They say that the continuous pill also causes a significant improvement in pain and behavioral changes.
"We have provided a biological proof of concept that both the ovary and the lining of the uterus are suppressed better and quicker with the continuous pill than with the cyclic pill. And there is........Go to the OBGYN news blog (Added on 4/3/2008 8:18:27 PM)

Studies' message to women: Keep your cool

Whether you are running for president or looking for a clerical job, you cannot afford to get angry if you are a woman, Yale University psychology expert Victoria Brescoll has found.
Brescoll and Eric Uhlmann at Northwestern University recently completed three separate studies to explore a phenomenon that may be all-too-familiar to women like New York Senator Hillary Clinton: People accept and even reward men who get angry but view women who........Go to the Psychology news blog (Added on 4/2/2008 10:12:15 PM)

Do we need alcohol prevention programs for 'tweens?'

The article examined a large study of six grade students across a metropolitan area, to see which factors distinguished young alcohol users from nonusers, including even their stated intentions regarding future alcohol use. Understanding that early alcohol use can affect development during a crucial time in life and can cause significant problems later, the scientists explored some current teen alcohol abuse prevention programs, concluding that........Go to the Psychology news blog (Added on 4/2/2008 10:09:39 PM)

The future of children's health

Can diseases such as Alzheimers, obesity and diabetes be prevented before birth? As per Jonathan D. Gitlin, M.D., the Helene B. Roberson Professor of Pediatrics and Professor of Genetics at the Washington University School of Medicine, researching whether diseases that strike adults are already genetically encoded in individuals while still in the womb, may enable physicians to one day address and prevent diseases in infancy.
In a talk........Go to the Pediatric news blog (Added on 4/1/2008 9:10:50 PM)

Hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer

Millions of post-menopausal women use hormone replacement treatment (HRT) as a method to reduce symptoms linked to menopause. In a recent University of Missouri study, scientists observed that one of the hormones used in HRT, a synthetic progestin, could be a major factor in promoting breast cancer. At the same time, the scientists have compelling evidence that using an antibody that prevents new blood vessel formation in tumors, or a small........Go to the Breast-cancer-blog (Added on 4/1/2008 8:48:46 PM)

Angina drug potentially useful against heart rhythm disorders

A recently approved angina drug may also represent a powerful new therapy for a rare hereditary syndrome that places teens at risk for sudden cardiac death, as per research presented to today at the 57th Annual Scientific Sessions of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) in Chicago.
Cardiac arrhythmias are electrical malfunctions that throw the heart out of rhythm, causing a number of of the 330,000 sudden cardiac deaths each year in the........Go to the Heart-watch-blog (Added on 3/31/2008 9:37:27 PM)

Healthy Gums are Something to Smile About

A smile is one of the most universally recognizable facial expressions, helping to depict an individual's happiness, confidence, attractiveness, sociability and sincerity. And now, as per a recent study reported in the Journal of Periodontology (JOP), the official publication of the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP), a smile may also help convey healthy teeth and gums. Scientists found evidence that periodontal, or gum, disease may........Go to the Society medical news blog (Added on 3/31/2008 9:25:14 PM)

Sniffing out danger

Each human nose encounters hundreds of thousands of scents in its daily travels perched front and center on our face. Some of these smells are nearly identical, so how do we learn to tell the critical ones apart? .
Something bad has to happen. Then the nose becomes a very quick learner.
New research from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine shows a single negative experience associated with an odor rapidly teaches us to........Go to the Neurology news blog (Added on 3/27/2008 9:55:10 PM)

Risks of over-the-counter medicines

The risks of increasing peoples access to over-the-counter medicines may outweigh the benefits, warn experts in this weeks BMJ.
They suggest that the safety of over-the-counter medicines should be kept under close review and that patients should be urged to report any adverse reactions.
Medicines are currently divided into classes that do or do not require prescription, write Robin Ferner, Director at the West Midlands Centre for Adverse........Go to the Society medical news blog (Added on 3/27/2008 9:39:14 PM)

Cooperative classrooms lead to better friendships

Students competing for resources in the classroom while discounting each others success are less likely to earn top grades than students who work together toward goals and share their success, as per an analysis of 80 years of research.
Competitive environments can disrupt childrens ability to form social relationships, which in turn may hurt their academic potential, as per scientists at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Cary J.........Go to the Psychology news blog (Added on 3/27/2008 9:35:33 PM)

Relaxation training may improve hypertension

Adding the relaxation response, a stress-management approach, to other lifestyle interventions may significantly improve therapy of the type of high blood pressure most common in the elderly. Among participants in a study conducted at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) High blood pressure Program and the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind-Body Medicine at MGH, those who received relaxation response training in addition to advice on reducing........Go to the Heart-watch-blog (Added on 3/27/2008 9:33:55 PM)

The Upside Of Anger

Here's a maxim from the "duh" department: People typically prefer to feel emotions that are pleasant, like excitement, and avoid those that are unpleasant, like anger.
But a new study appearing in the recent issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, says this may not always be the case. Psychology experts Maya Tamir and Christopher Mitchell of Boston College, and James Gross of Stanford........Go to the Psychology news blog (Added on 3/26/2008 9:51:21 PM)

Antidepressants and type 2 diabetes

While analyzing data from Saskatchewan health databases, Lauren Brown, researcher with the U of As School of Public Health, found people with a history of depression had a 30 per cent increased risk of type 2 Diabetes.
Brown then studied the medical history of 2,400 people who were diagnosed with depression and were taking antidepressants to determine whether there was a clear connection between that disease and type 2 Diabetes.
Brown........Go to the Diabetic news blog (Added on 3/25/2008 10:26:06 PM)